The Terror Within
by Gongsun Du
Summary: Trapped on an abandoned Fire Nation station with only a handful of survivors, Sokka and Toph have to stay on the run while fighting countless undead. But something even more terrible lurks in the depths of the station. Something that Sokka must face if any of them are to survive. (Hints of SokkaXToph later on)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**** Be warned there shall be a few OC's in this story but they shall all be relevant to the plot. No Mary Sue's or Marty Stu's or whatever. I've rewritten this chapter countless times trying to find a perfect balance and hopefully I've finally gotten it right. Anyway, please let me know what you think of my creation. Reviews are greatly appreciated and desired, no matter how trivial or harsh!**

* * *

**Character List:**

_Sokka_; non-bender, master swordsman. Height: 5'8''

_Toph Bei Fong_; blind earthbending master. Height: 5'4''

_Daris_; firebender, captain of the _Reliance_. Height: 5'10''

_Ambassador Chiang_; non-bender, Fire Nation dignitary. Height: 5'8''

_Hakumi_; waterbender, healer, Water Tribe representative. Height: 5'5''

_Rui_; firebender, aid to the Ambassador, Fire Nation intelligence agent. Height: 5'10''

_Furon_; firebender, soldier. Height: 6'

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Nightmare **

"_I will always be with you."_ Yue's voice echoed in Sokka's ears. The beautiful moon spirit hovered before him, her white flowing gowns spilling all along the ground. Her face was sad. Her eyes devastated. Sokka wanted so badly to comfort her, but as he held out his hand he realized that she was just out of reach.

"Yue…" he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry."

"Sokka…" Yue's spirit floated closer to him, her face mere inches away. So warm and fragile. Yet as she came closer, Sokka felt his skin begin to crawl. A strange sensation began to gnaw inside of him at his very soul. The closer she came the worse it grew. What was this feeling?

All of a sudden the sadness disappeared off Yue's face. Her kind timid features became twisted with rage. Her eyes bored furiously into his and Sokka felt his stomach cringe in horror.

"**You.**" Her voice boomed through the air. "You failed to protect me!"

"No." He shook his head. "Yue I tried. Believe me I–"

"**You failed!" **she screeched. "You killed me Sokka."

"No. No." Sokka began to back away. "I tried to save you, Yue. I would have given my life for you! I loved you." He felt his back press against a wall. There was no escape.

"You failed to protect me, Sokka." She seethed, advancing on his cowering form. "You _failed_ to save me."

"N-no." He covered his head and closed his eyes, desperate to escape. "I tried to save you. I wanted to save you."

"You failed Sokka! You did this to me!" He felt her hands on him now. Her voice so close that he could feel her bone-chilling breath on the nape of his neck. He tried to back away, to break free from her grasp, but it was all in vain. No matter what he did he could never run away from what he'd done–what he'd failed to do.

"Look at me Sokka!" her voice demanded.

He shook his head, not wanting to see.

"Look at me! Look at what you've done!" Against his own will he felt his arms drop to his sides and his eyelids begin to flutter open. The goosebumps that now covered his body were shivering in fear. He could feel the ice drifting down his spine and his heart felt like it was about to burst in his chest. When he opened his eyes at last, he could scarcely contain the scream.

Yue's face was shriveled and decaying. Her sunken yellow eyes watched him furiously as her sallow grayish mouth hung open like a corpse's. The white flowing gowns were now tattered and dirty and seemed to match the horrific state of decay with an uncanny perfection. Even the air around her seemed to smell of death, and through his trembling skin he could almost feel death's chilling embrace.

Sokka clamped his hand over his mouth, desperately pressing his back against the wall. Every fiber of his being wanted to scream out at once. His conscience feebly tried to reassure him that it was not his fault. That she could not blame him for this. But deep down Sokka knew it _was_ his fault. He knew, and that made it even worse.

Seeing her hands begin to reach for him once more, Sokka opened his mouth, seemingly to beg for mercy. But no sound came out. His throat clammed up to the point where he could scarcely breathe. All he could do was watch the skeletal aberration as its face pressed closer to his.

"You…failed…me." She was so close now that he could make out the individual holes in her skin. He could see the bits of bone protruding through the openings. Sokka's eyes screamed out in place of his voice. With every ounce of his strength he tried to look away, but felt himself paralyzed.

"You killed me Sokka, **and now I'll make you pay!**"

Sokka shot up in his bed, the dream still hanging over him. The screams that he had been unable to voice until now tore furiously at his throat and seemed to rattle his very lungs. His heart pounded in his head like a heavy war drum. Each beat seemed to echo off the metallic walls of his cabin. For a moment, he saw Yue's corpse lingering before him, but before he had a chance to blink it was gone. Slowly, like the rising sun, reality began to sink in and the horrors of his nightmare began to fade back into the deep recesses of his mind.

It was only a dream, Sokka breathed a sigh of relief. Settling back into his bed he felt his heart rate begin to steady. With his hand he wiped a layer of sweat that had formed on his brow and exhaled deeply. This time it had been almost too real. He had been having dreams like this ever since Yue died. They had been quiet at first but over time they had grown more and more violent. A few months ago it had even gotten to the point where he was afraid to fall asleep at night. It was that more than anything that led Suki to break up with him.

Not that I could blame her, Sokka thought with a sigh. It had been selfish of him to start a relationship with her when he still couldn't let go of the past. The truth was that Yue was still very much in his heart. And no matter how much it pained him, no matter how much it tortured his psyche, he just couldn't accept that she was gone. Maybe that was why…

A knock on his door snapped Sokka out of his musings. Who could that be at this hour, he wondered. The knock grew more urgent.

"Sokka, sir, the Captain wishes to see you." A voice on the other end said anxiously.

"What is it?" Sokka asked, straining his eyes in the darkness to find his clothes.

"There's been an accident, sir. Please hurry, the Captain said to summon you immediately."

Accident? Sokka scratched his head, what the hell kind of accident would require the Captain to summon him? Wearily, he grabbed his pants off the floor and slid them on. He gathered his shirt and slipped his arms through the sleeves and hastily pushed his feet into his boots. As he reached for his sword and boomerang holster he became aware of the unusual silence in the room. That was when he realized that the ship's engines weren't running.

* * *

Captain Daris stood stiffly at the helm of the _Reliance_. The weariness on his face was mixed with unmistakable ire. He shot an irritable glance at the helmsman and the lesser man visibly quaked in his boots. The one thing Daris hated more than incompetence was being behind schedule. And when the two things were mixed into one, it took every ounce of his self restraint not to bash someone's head in. Tearing his eyes off the poor man, he glanced at the dark murky waters of the ocean.

To think that once upon a time he had thought serving in the Fire Nation's navy to be the highest of honors. Now with the war over and the Fire Nation humiliated he felt his esteem being slowly chipped away along with his dignity. Reduced to the role of ferrying pompous dignitaries, he had contemplated quitting many times. But unfortunately ideals didn't put food on the table, and in order to survive in this harsh post-war world he had no choice but to endure. Endure–that very word made him sick and reminded him of just how far he had fallen.

Turning back to the helmsman desperately fiddling with the various valves and switches, he sighed. Just when he had thought things couldn't get much worse.

"Ah, Captain." Daris instantly recognized the unmistakable upper-class pronunciation and snobby tone. Upon spotting the rotund man and his pig-like eyes, he felt his fists involuntarily clench.

Turning around to face him he bowed politely. "Ambassador Chiang, welcome to the helm." It took every ounce of Daris's remaining patience to stay calm.

"So what is it then?" The Ambassador asked impatiently, motioning haughtily for his aide to come closer. His aide was a tall man with dark hair, a slightly gaunt face, and cold golden eyes. From his expression, it seemed like he too held a great distaste for the Ambassador's antics. But like the Captain he was too well trained to express it openly.

"Lord Ambassador." The aide stood at his side and bowed.

"Ah, Rui, there you are. Fetch me a strong cup of tea from the galley as fast as you can. And some dumplings too, if possible."

"Yes, my lord." He bowed and swiftly headed towards the door. Daris noted the slight irritation in his eyes before he disappeared down the corridor.

Atleast I'm not the only one, Daris thought with contempt. If protocol didn't demand it, he would have gladly kept the Ambassador in the dark about this incident. The matter would most likely be resolved in a matter of hours, but the Ambassador would probably pester him about it for days. Saying how poorly the ship was being run, how frustrating it was for a person of _his_ stature to travel on military vessels, and how if he were in charge things would run so much more smoothly. As if Daris didn't have enough reasons to resign.

"We've had an engine malfunction." Daris said at last and readied himself for the inevitable barrage of pointless questions. But before Ambassador Chiang could say anything, the rest of the passengers filed into the room.

"Ugh, what a way to start off my day." Toph said with a yawn. She had grown a lot since she'd first joined with Team Avatar and her earthbender robes seemed to reflect her newfound maturity. However, despite appearances, she was still the same arrogant person at heart. And while Daris eyed her with growing irritation she absentmindedly dug her finger into her ear and fiddled it around.

"You said it." muttered a young woman next to her. Her name was Hakumi. She was tall, pretty, with blue eyes, and the dark skin and hair of a water tribesman. The representative of the Northern Water Tribe on this diplomatic mission, her relatively calm and reserved personality was one of the few that didn't bother Daris.

Sokka was the last one to enter. The bags under his eyes and his gloomy demeanor seemed to fit in perfectly with the overall air of unpleasantness in the helm. Daris waited until he came to a halt before beginning his explanation.

"I apologize for waking you all at this hour, but due to protocol I must inform all senior officials in the event of an incident."

"So what happened?" Toph asked impatiently, like Sokka she too hadn't slept well.

"I was getting to that." Daris replied with an almost unbelievable calmness. "There's been an accident. Our engines have been damaged. We most likely won't be able to get under way for atleast a few hours."

"What kind of accident?" Ambassador Chiang piped in, stroking his stubble.

"I'm not sure yet, I've only just received the report myself. I'm on my way to the engine room now if you wish to accompany me."

Toph yawned loudly, "Not like we have anything better to do."

* * *

The engine room of the Fire Nation ship _Reliance_ was dark and cavernous. Every instrument, every pipe and valve, seemed almost sinister in the dim lighting that the few red lamps afforded. For many hours each day, engineers and crew members had to work in this treacherous chamber, laboring for an eternity in darkness. Only the knowledge that they would see the sky at the end of their shifts kept them going. Of course the darkness didn't bother Toph at all. She was used to it.

Her whole life she had seen only darkness, but perhaps that was a blessing. Thanks to earthbending she could still see the world openly, night and day. Nothing was ever hidden and therefore nothing was ever scary. She had no reason to fear the dark or the unknown. To her everything was a whole lot simpler.

Clearly, however, her compatriots didn't share her ambivalence towards darkness. Through her earthbending she felt the worried glances and the irregular heartbeats of the rest of the group. Captain Daris's heartbeat alone was steady, but she could sense him grinding his teeth. Doubtlessly the man was furious. She had seen him almost explode many times for minor infractions so she could scarcely imagine his irritation at something serious like this. But the one she was worried about most was Sokka. His vitals and heartbeat were especially unsteady.

He had had one of those nightmares again, she decided. As always Yue was in his thoughts, slowly driving him mad. Toph wished he would open up to her about the dreams. She was his friend and she was becoming really concerned. But as always, Sokka avoided the topic, preferring instead to bottle up his emotions and ignore the problem for as long as possible.

But how much longer can he hold out, Toph wondered, shaking her head involuntarily. He'll avoid the problem until it kills him, she decided bitterly.

"We're here." Daris announced and with a sharp turn of a handle he pulled open a watertight door. Immediately a thick grey smoke burst through the opening and the group rushed to cover their mouths.

"What in blazes." The Ambassador coughed through his hand. "Unbelievable."

"Sir!" A man in dark green goggles, fireproof apron, and steel-toed boots rushed up to Daris. The insignia on his uniform identified him as the Chief Engineer.

Daris coughed, waving the fumes out of his face. "What the hell's going on down here, Haro?"

"I'm not entirely sure, sir. One minute the engines were running fine the next, boom! To tell you the truth I've never seen anything like it, sir. It's almost unnatural."

"_Unnatural_?" Daris cocked a brow. "Are there any signs of tampering?"

The engineer shook his head, "No, sir. If I had to guess I'd say this was a malfunction in the central steam pipe. Valves one and three are blown clear off. Furthermore there appears to be serious damage to the turbine. That being said, while there are no obvious signs of tampering, I've never heard of this kind of malfunction occurring on any other vessels. Not simultaneously and definitely not to this extent."

Daris cursed, "Great, just what I needed."

"Hmph, I expect you'll get this fixed soon, Captain." Ambassador Chiang said impatiently. "I have a schedule to keep and these delays are costing me precious time. If you don't get this mess straightened out quickly, I'll be forced to make a full report of your incompetence to the Admiralty."

Please do, thought Daris furiously, and I'll be sure to tell them what a useless sack of lard you really are. Constantly wasting the military's time and resources in pursuit of your hedonistic pleasures, I'm sure the Admiralty would be very interested to hear all about it.

"Haro," Daris said, burying his frustration, "How long will it take to repair?"

"Hard to say sir…" the Chief Engineer shifted his goggles. "If we were in a drydock I could get this fixed in no time. But at sea, without the proper tools, it's anyone's guess when we'd be done. I'm not even sure if we have sufficient parts to repair the damage."

"Perfect." Daris muttered sarcastically. Just perfect.

"Chief Engineer Haro!" A worker ran up to him. "Urgent message for Captain Daris. The helmsman wants to see him straight away."

"What is it now?" Daris asked testily. "I'm really not in the mood for any more bad news!"

"He wouldn't say, sir, only that he wants you at the helm straight away."

"Fine." Daris rubbed his temples and turned to the rest of the group. "If you'd all please accompany me topside."

Everyone breathed a silent sigh of a relief. The claustrophobic darkness of the engine room had grown a hundred times worse with all the smoke. Even Daris was somewhat glad to be returning to the helm. The thought of finally leaving this place seemed to put a certain lightness in all their steps.

As the other passengers began to follow the Captain back to the helm, Toph grabbed Sokka's sleeve. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Fine." Came the laconic response.

"Liar." Toph yanked him back before he could walk away. "I know you had that dream again." Sokka sighed.

"Why won't you talk to me?" she asked, the concern obvious in her voice.

"Because there's nothing to say." He muttered, before yanking his sleeve out of her hand and following the others.

* * *

"What the _hell_ is that?" Ambassador Chiang asked with disquiet.

"I-I'm not sure." Daris said almost to himself. The air outside had turned very hazy. A thick white fog hung over the water, practically obscuring it. The ocean around their ship had grown very still, almost uncharacteristically still. There was barely any wind at all. Visibility was rapidly deteriorating, but even through the increasingly dense fog Daris could still make out the massive figure lurking in the distance.

It was huge. Atleast five or six times the size of their Fire Nation cruiser. From the way its outline shimmered, Daris could tell it wasn't an island, it was moving. Furthermore, as the object came into sight he could make out various structures on it. Whatever the thing was, it was also man-made.

"Helmsman." He ordered, still trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. "Weigh anchor."

"Weigh anchor!" the helmsman shouted down the communication tube.

"Rouse the rest of the men." Daris said to a nearby officer. "I want all marines fully armed and on standby. Bring out the ballistas too, but quietly."

"Yes, sir."

"Are we in danger?" Ambassador Chiang asked nervously.

"Maybe." Daris said, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly. The look of fear on the Ambassador's face was a welcome change from his normally haughty demeanor.

"Shouldn't we go below?" Hakumi asked. "We're dignitaries not soldiers."

"I don't know about you, sister, but I'm not about to run away crying." Toph said, cracking her knuckles.

"The helm is made of reinforced steel. Twice the thickness of the crew compartments. You're quite safe here." Daris said reassuringly. He smirked as the Ambassador breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lord Ambassador." Rui walked onto the helm with a small tray. "Your tea and dumplings, my lord."

Chiang waved them away, "Not now, Rui, I've lost my appetite."

"I'll take one." Daris snatched a dumpling and swallowed it without chewing.

It had been a long time since he'd faced the thrill of battle. Unlike the passive officials that he ferried, Daris thrived in battles. Living in peacetime for him was like being a fish out of water. This was a most welcome change in his day to day drudgery. Maybe this accident would turn out to be the highlight of his "diplomatic" career.

The hulking mass continued to move closer, though at an extremely slow pace. Out on the deck of the _Reliance_ the crew was busy setting up the ballistas. Fire Nation marines in full uniform began to form up in the center, their skull-like faceplates cold and menacing. Even the nonbenders began to ready themselves for battle, many grabbing spears and broadswords. There was no telling what they might face and in the worst case scenario they might need every available hand to defend the ship.

"Captain!" The helmsman shakily lowered the telescope from his eye.

"What is it?" Daris turned to him.

"See for yourself, sir." He held out the telescope and Daris snatched it out of his hand.

At first he could see nothing, the fog around the object obscured it entirely. Then suddenly the fog began to peel away and the hulking mass came clearly into few. It was a massive floating station, larger than anything Daris had ever seen. The whole thing was metal, from stem to stern. At its center was a massive conning tower, larger than their entire ship. Surrounding it were hundreds of smaller adjacent structures of varying purpose and design. At the far end of the station was a massive metal rig from which scores of hooks on chains dangled ominously. But perhaps the most interesting feature, the one that had probably grabbed the helmsman's attention, was the giant Fire Nation insignia painted black across its side.

For once in his life, Daris was stumped. As far as he knew there weren't any Fire Nation stations of that size anywhere along their course. More importantly almost all fueling stations and rigs had been withdrawn after the war ended. It just didn't make sense. How did an unknown station of that size, bearing the Fire Nation emblem, end up all the way out here?

As the station pitched and yawed with the ocean, countless metallic groans echoed through the distance. The vessel looked and sounded abandoned, but even so Daris couldn't help but feel that there was someone or something on board.

Probably just crabs and seaweed, he thought bemusedly, but even his crude sense of humor could not dispel the ominous feeling that had formed in the pit of his stomach.

"That thing's Fire Nation?" Sokka voiced loudly, the station now visible to the naked eye.

"Who else's could it be?" Hakumi said with distaste. "Only the Fire Nation could construct such monstrosities."

Daris eyed her testily. Now even she was getting on his nerves.

"But why is it here, in the middle of nowhere?" Sokka asked.

"Who knows?" Hakumi shrugged. "The Fire Nation was always secretive about their various projects. This might be one of them. My fellow tribesmen found several secret outposts up by the North Pole after the war."

"More importantly," Daris overrode them, "This could well be a way out of our current predicament. A vessel of that size must surely have spare parts."

"You're not suggesting," Ambassador Chiang swallowed hard, "That we dock with that thing? Are you?"

"Why not?" Daris said with a slight smirk. "It's clearly abandoned. A ghost ship by the looks of it."

"Ghost?" Chiang's eyes fell timidly to the ground.

"Get the chief engineer up here." Daris ordered. "And get a boarding party ready."

"Right away sir." The helmsman scurried off.

"You're not actually thinking of going aboard that thing, Captain?" Hakumi asked.

"Don't tell me you're superstitious, Representative."

"It's not that, it's just…"Hakumi's voice trailed off. By now the station was so close to the _Reliance_ that the entire vessel was drowned in the station's shadow.

"Just what?" Daris eyed her curiously. "Look, Representative, you don't have to come aboard. As of right now this is a military operation and there's no need to involve yours–"

"Just one moment, Captain." Ambassador Chiang said in an unusually boisterous voice. "You don't expect to keep us in the dark, do you? If you're going aboard this vessel then I'm coming too. It's my official duty, after all, as head of this delegation."

"I'm coming too." Hakumi said. Now that the Fire Nation Ambassador had decided to go she couldn't afford to stay on board and lose face. "After all I can't miss this opportunity to see one of the Fire Nation's secret outposts up close."

"I guess I'll come along too." Sokka said, "The chief engineer may need a hand."

"Ditto." Toph added.

"I think I'll stay on board." Rui said calmly. "I wouldn't want to get in the way."

"Nonsense." Ambassador Chiang huffed, "I may have need of you. Besides, it's your sworn duty to accompany me wherever I go. So you're coming!"

Rui pursed his lips and sullenly nodded his acceptance.

"Very well then." Daris said, not entirely sure what had just happened. "Just try not to get in the way."

"Sir." The helmsman, accompanied by the Chief Engineer and an officer waited in the corridor. Daris folded his arms behind his back and the three of them entered and bowed politely. All three looked uneasy.

"Chief Engineer Haro," Daris began, "You and your engineers will scavenge the station in search of necessary parts. Take whatever you need."

"Yes, Captain." Haro bowed his head, then uneasily. "Uh, sir?"

Daris cocked a brow, "What is it, Haro?"

"Do you think it's safe? Going aboard that…thing?"

"Not you too, Haro." Daris shook his head. "Lieutenant Ai and his marines will be with us for the ride. If we run into any trouble they'll be more than able to handle it. Isn't that right?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" The officer barked, his shouting covering up the nervousness in his voice.

Haro nodded his head, "Very well, Captain. I'll do my part."

"Good. As for me and the passengers, we'll take a few marines and see if we can find out what this station is. No matter what, we all regroup back at the ship in one hour. Got it?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Dropping its anchors once more, the _Reliance_ docked with the station.

* * *

Inside the station was the same on the as it was on the outside, Hakumi decided, dark and ominous. They had been walking for around twenty minutes now and every corridor was pretty much the same. All in all, the place was a mess. Water dripped from the ceilings. Seaweed and various muck coated the floors. Everything was in shambles. Whatever the station was, and whatever its original purpose had been, it had clearly been abandoned for some time. The deeper they went the more hopeless their search for answers seemed to become.

"Maybe we should check down there?" Ambassador Chiang asked nervously. His momentary confidence had evaporated the moment they had stepped on board, but he had been too stubborn to turn back.

"Toph?" Sokka turned to the blind earthbender. Toph slammed her foot down on the floor and tracked the vibrations as they spread out in all directions and gradually disappeared from her field of view.

"Hmm," She bit her lip, "I can't really tell what's down there. All the water in here is really screwing up my earthbending."

"We should check the conning tower first." Daris said decisively. "We'll leave the lower levels to Haro and his people."

"Any sight of them, Toph?" Sokka asked. The two groups had parted ways at the first stairwell.

She shook her head, "Nope. But like I said all this water's making my vision fuzzy, and this place is so huge it'd be impossible for me to see them at the lower levels."

"Let's get a move on." Daris ordered, waving a lantern in front of him. The corridors were very poorly illuminated and sunlight could not reach them in the bowels of the station. Cautiously, the group followed the Captain's lead. The four marines assigned to protect them warily scanned the surroundings, further adding to the growing sense of unease.

As they descended deeper into the station it felt like they were moving further away from their world and into another. Light gradually turned to darkness. Noises of the ocean were replaced with metallic clanks and groans. Even the very air they breathed became brackish and foul. What at first had been an eagerness to find answers was quickly becoming desperation to get out.

Turning the corner, the light from Daris's lantern suddenly fell upon a gruesome and horrible monster. The spikes in its head protruded in many directions and its slit-like eyes burned with a ferocity that made all their hearts skip a beat. The marines wasted no time in blasting the creature with their flames.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Daris waved the smoke out of his face. Bringing the lantern closer to the monster, he smirked.

"It's just an old Fire Nation suit of armor." He said, amused at the looks of horror on their faces. Toph's alone was calm.

"Piece of junk!" Ambassador Chiang shot it a dirty look. The armor was pressed up against the wall. Its faceplate and spikes had given it its monstrous appearance.

Rui and Hakumi breathed an audible sigh of relief. Sokka warily returned his sword to its scabbard.

"Common, it's not much further." Daris said, and the group followed him further into the bowels of the station. As the light from their lanterns grew more and more distant, a shadow flickered behind them.

* * *

The conning tower was a gruesome sight. Countless tools and instruments lay in a state of ruin. The reinforced pane glass windows were filthy and cracked. Even the ceiling above was gutted, and countless rods and pipes protruded through the various breaches. It was abundantly clear that there were no answers to be found up here.

Daris sighed, all that time wasted and for nothing. Glancing at his pocket watch, he saw that time was running out. They had best head back to their ship.

"All right, looks like this is a dead end." He said. "Let's regroup with the others at the ship."

"Hold on a minute." Sokka called from the other end of the tower. "I think I found something."

Daris walked over to him. "What is it?"

Sokka held up a small journal. The pages were soaked and most of the writing had faded away, however, a few words on the cover were still legible.

"Logbook of the _Reaper_?" Daris read aloud.

"I think that's the name of this station." Sokka said with growing disquiet.

"A strange name. But then again the Fire Nation is fond of giving its vessels terrifying names." Daris said. "It's a good scare tactic."

Sokka scoffed and tossed the logbook away.

"We're heading out then?" Hakumi asked, eager to finally leave.

"Yep. Everyone here?" Daris looked around. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Nine?

"Somebody's missing." Daris said irritably and he could guess who it was. "Where's Ambassador Chiang?"

"I don't know." Rui said, and glanced around the room. "He was standing next to me just a few minutes ago."

"Ambassador Chiang?" Daris shouted, his voice echoing down the silent corridors. "Son of a bitch." He murmured.

"You see him, Toph?" Sokka asked.

"Uh-uh." She shook her head.

"Perhaps we should spread out and search for him?" Hakumi asked.

"So we could lose even more of us?" Daris scoffed. "No way, we're heading back to the ship right now. You three." He gestured at three of the marines. "You stay here and see if the Ambassador comes back. Stay within sight of eachother, no point in getting lost along with him."

"Sir!"

* * *

Ambassador Chiang glanced desperately at the signs on the wall. He'd only walked a short distance from the conning tower. How did he end up getting so lost? Deciding on one direction, he walked aimlessly down the long dark corridor.

He wasn't cut out for this kind of work, he thought decidedly. No, the place where he truly shined was on the political stage. Attending meetings, lavish parties, one-on-ones with those in power. Exploring derelict stations was a job for grunts. It was only because of his foolish pride that he had ended up in this mess.

As soon as he returned to the Capital he would treat himself to a lavish banquet, Chiang decided. Then maybe he would hire a girl or two or three. After all it had been a long time since he'd been in the Fire Nation and those Earth Kingdom girls just didn't do it for him. Overall, the long diplomatic missions were steadily becoming a pain.

They were more trouble than they were worth. Having to deal with incompetent buffoons like Daris, and unsavory officials like that Harumi girl, maybe it was high time Chiang retired. After all, he had more than enough money. The only reason he had continued to perform the job was because of the prestige it afforded. But as time passed and he grew older things like prestige and titles began to matter less and less.

The truth was he'd always dreamt of settling down and having a few kids to carry on his name and his legacy. Maybe he would do that now, Chiang thought. As soon as this mission was over he would retire from his position with dignity and begin a new life in the opulence of the Capital. There he'd never have to wander through unpleasant surroundings like this ever again.

Finding a small room at the end of the corridor, Chiang wandered in and sat down on a small bench wearily. How long had he been walking, he wondered. His legs felt like they were almost ready to give out. To top it off he hadn't gotten much sleep thanks to Daris's early wakeup call. He could use a small break.

Chiang sighed deeply. Turning his head back to the corridor he realized that he wasn't alone.

* * *

Damn that Chiang, Rui thought furiously as the group made their way back to the ship. Being the Ambassador's aide had always been a difficult job for him. The whiny politician was almost never pleased and it took every ounce of strength Rui could muster to get him through an average day. If he had been a normal person he would have quit ages ago, but alas that wasn't so.

Despite his humble position, he was in fact an elite agent of the Fire Nation intelligence. His job as the Ambassador's aide was a perfect cover and it allowed him to infiltrate countless meetings and to gather invaluable information that would have otherwise been impossible to get. It was his love for his true profession that had made him persevere all this time.

But now that bloated excuse for a politician goes and gets himself lost, Rui thought with disgust. Spirits forbid anything should happen to the man for then Rui would be in a fix. To lose a cover as precious as that, the Director would surely have his head.

"Any sight of the Ambassador?" Rui asked Toph anxiously.

"Nope, nothing." The blind earthbender replied.

"The fool's probably gone in search of a snack." Hakumi said with a smirk. Sokka and Toph laughed uneasily.

"Don't worry, Rui." Daris said with a sigh. "I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later." Then to himself he muttered, "Hopefully much later."

As the group turned a familiar corner, Hakumi suddenly stopped and looked at the wall uneasily. Wasn't this where they had run into the empty suit of armor?

"Hey guys, wasn't there a suit of armor here?" She shouted, the others appeared not to hear her and continued to walk down the corridor. "Guys?"

"Hurry up, Hakumi. Or else we'll leave you behind." Daris shouted irritably. And the Water Tribe representative forgot her fears and ran to catch up.

* * *

**So what do you think? Please be kind and leave a review, they are greatly appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: And Then There Were Six**

As the six of them made their way through the bowels of the abandoned station, Hakumi couldn't help but feel that something was following them. It had begun as an odd sensation—a cold chill at the nape of her neck. Growing stronger and stronger until it felt like a shard of ice stabbing into her very soul.

She shot a bewildered glance behind her, but there was nothing but darkness. A never-ending darkness spreading out in all directions. And silence. A deafening silence broken only by the now distant footsteps of her companions and the creaking and clanking of the massive station.

It was emptiness, nothingness—and then she heard _it._

"Hakumi!" Daris' voice echoed down the corridor, snapping her out of her trance. "Hurry up."

Hakumi glanced towards the barely visible light of their lanterns in the distance and realized how far she had fallen behind. Hurriedly she picked up her pace to catch up, but the sound still lingered in her mind.

It had been a voice—a scream. Far away, but definitely a voice. She couldn't have imagined it could she?

Warily, she peered behind her once more. But the scream did not repeat and the darkness remained impenetrable.

"Everything alright, Representative?" Daris asked as she at last reached them, his eyes as cold and emotionless as ever.

"Yes," She nodded in a daze, "Except…"

Daris arched a brow, "Except?"

"I thought I heard…" She shook her head, wondering once more if she had simply imagined it.

"Heard what?" Toph asked curiously.

"I thought I heard a voice just now." She glanced behind her, "A scream. And just down the previous corridor the suit of armor that we had attacked, it was gone."

Daris scoffed, "This station is so old and rotten that any number of the hundred sounds it makes could've sounded like a scream."

"No, but I'm sure it was a voice." Hakumi said defensively. "A living voice. I'm not an idiot, Captain, I know the difference."

Daris sighed, "Look, Representative, we're all tired. None of us have gotten a good night's sleep. We've been wandering this crab infested wreck for over an hour and this whole situation is unsettling—"

"I'm not delusional, Captain." She said, more loudly now, "And what about the suit of armor? I know I didn't imagine that."

"Maybe after the fire show we gave it, it went downstairs for repairs." said the Marine, earning a slight chuckle from Sokka and Rui.

Daris shot a glare his way, then turning back to Hakumi, "We probably just missed it. This station is so dark I can barely see my hand in front of my face."

"Captain, there's something—"

"Representative, please." Daris said, the please merely a formality at this point as the irritation was clear on his face. "Why don't we continue this discussion aboard the _Reliance_, when we're repaired and back on course."

Hakumi folded her arms defiantly, but she knew there was no point in arguing any further. Like it or not this was a military operation and Daris was in control. But his curt evasion of her suspicions did nothing to allay them, in fact it did just the opposite.

By now the fog had gotten very thick. So much so that as the group walked out of the abandoned station they could barely see a foot in any direction. The fog was also strangely cold. Walking into its murky embrace felt like diving into the frigid sea itself.

In all his years as captain, Daris had never seen anything quite like it. Certainly not in these waters, not so far out to sea, and definitely not at this time of year. But unlike the dignitaries he was transporting, Daris was not one to succumb to superstitious thoughts. He was a rational military man who had seen enough of the horrors of war to not be easily frightened. And yet for some unfathomable reason the ominous feeling in the pit of his stomach refused to go away.

It was probably just fatigue, he told himself, that and the incessant nagging and worrying of his charges. By the spirits, if Ambassador Chiang blamed him for getting lost on account of his own stupidity, Daris would gladly ask for a demotion and reassignment. He'd had just about all he could stomach from these dignitary types. A reduced pay grade would be worth the peace of mind.

"It's too quiet." Toph said suddenly, breaking Daris' train of thought. Normally he'd just ignore her but she was right. It _was_ too quiet. The station had stopped creaking. There was no wind or breeze. Even the ocean seemed uncharacteristically still.

His irrational thoughts aside, Daris' senses told him something was wrong. He glanced around, but could make out nothing in the thickness of the fog.

"Stay close." He ordered, "No sense in anyone else getting lost." The group bunched together as they made their way towards the _Reliance_. The fog was all around them now, devouring them like some malevolent creature. Its wispy tentacles closing in fast.

"Toph do you see anything?" Sokka asked, feeling unusually claustrophobic in the thick grey mist.

"Yea, the ship is dead ahead. Only…"

Sokka turned to her uneasily, "Only what?"

"Only I don't see anyone on deck."

"Lazy bastards are probably at the Pai Sho table again." Daris muttered.

Transporting dignitaries had made them all less than adequate soldiers. Dereliction of duty had once been a serious crime in the Fire Nation Navy, but now with the war over on transport vessels like this it was more like a minor offence. Still, Daris would make sure the offenders were suitably punished. Unlike new officers, he still held a measure of pride in the Fire Nation's forces.

"It's dead ahead." Toph announced and straining his eyes Daris saw the faint outline of his vessel.

His unease sank into the recesses of his mind as he walked up the ramp and made his way down the deck of his cruiser and towards the conning tower. Aboard this ship he was in his element and no superstitious nonsense was going to affect him here. Here _he_ was in control.

"I don't like this." Toph whispered to Sokka, "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked, his eyes scanning the fog warily.

"I mean something doesn't feel right." She turned her head towards Hakumi. "_You_ know what I'm talking about don't you, Representative?"

But the water tribesman merely looked away and picked up her pace, earning a grimace from Toph.

"Even our fearless leader knows something's up." She continued, gesturing at Daris who seemed the picture of confidence. "He just won't admit it."

Sokka shrugged uneasily and turned his attention back to the deck.

There was no reason to be nervous, he told himself. It was probably nothing, just lack of sleep like Daris said. It was just his imagination. Everything was going to be—Yue's face flashed before him and the lantern fell from his hand and smashed on the deck. Sokka felt his heart freeze in his chest, the horrible dream filling his thoughts, her voice ringing in his ears.

"_You failed me Sokka! You failed me!"_

"Sokka?" Toph looked at him worriedly.

"It's…nothing…" He said with difficulty, rubbing his eyes as the vision faded. "I just…slipped."

Toph wasn't convinced.

"I'm fine, Toph." He said, a little too defensively. "Just tired."

By now they had reached the edge of the conning tower and with a loud creak of the watertight door they were once again in familiar surroundings. Inside, it was much pleasant. The all-encompassing fog was gone and the clean and well lit halls were a welcome relief from the gutted insides of the abandoned station. Even Hakumi, who seemed the most shaken up, was slowly returning to her usual self. Only Daris still looked displeased.

"Bosun!" He shouted, his voice echoing down the metallic halls of the ship. No response.

"Son of a—" He tightened his fist. "Haro? Sergeant Yun?"

There was no reply, "Bastards." He seethed.

"Come on." He gestured to the others. "We're going to the crew quarters. You'll all get to witness firsthand how the Fire Nation deals with incompetent soldiers."

"There's something wrong here." Toph muttered, as the six of them descended into the lower levels.

Sokka looked at her quizzically. But before he could ask, she continued ominously.

"There's no one onboard."

* * *

True enough the crew quarters were completely deserted. Not a soul to be found anywhere. Tables and chairs stood empty. Bunks unoccupied. Food and drink lay untouched. The whole place looked as though it had only just been in use. But for some reason everyone was gone. The other compartments and chambers had turned up the same. Empty and without any clue as to why. The entire crew of the _Reliance_ had mysteriously disappeared.

"This makes no sense." Daris muttered practically to himself. His rage had been twisted and reformed into an emotion he was far less familiar with: fear. Irrational and all consuming—if he let it take hold.

But Daris was not one to give into his feelings. And with a great effort he once more began to resume control of his mind.

"They couldn't have just vanished into thin air." Rui said, examining a tea cup that was still warm.

"We were gone, what, an hour?" Sokka asked, "What could have caused them to abandon ship so suddenly?"

"And there doesn't appear to be any signs of a struggle." Hakumi muttered, strangely calm.

"Any ideas, sir?" The marine asked Daris.

"Huh?" Daris looked at him puzzled, then regaining his composure. "Um, yes. They couldn't have gone far. Not without good reason. My crew may not be the best, but they're loyal, they wouldn't go off mission."

"Then where did they go?" Sokka wondered as his keen eyes scanned the floor.

Years and years of hunting in the tundra had made him a keen tracker, able to follow prey across miles of frozen wastes, in white-out conditions, with scarcely a landmark for reference. Life abroad and constant travel may have made him a bit rusty, but tracking wasn't something you forgot overnight.

At first he saw nothing, just the usual scuff marks left by Fire Nation boots. Dirt mixed with sea salt, rust, metal shavings, and—his eyes narrowed. Walking down the corridor towards one of the many stairwells he stopped and lowered his head to the ground to examine what he'd found. His eyes widened and he sniffed the floor once more. There was no mistaking that smell.

"What is it Sokka?" Toph asked, walking after him.

"It's…blood." He replied, his voice barely a whisper. Then turning his head to the others who now crowded anxiously behind him, "And it's fresh."

At that the marine immediately went on guard and Daris narrowed his eyes.

"How fresh?" Daris asked.

"Minutes." Sokka replied, drawing his sword. "The trail leads that way." He pointed down the staircase leading into the bowels of the ship.

"Into the engine room?" Hakumi asked, the fear returning to her face.

"Then that's where we'll get our answers. " Daris announced, with a sureness he no longer possessed.

"You want us to go in _there_?" Hakumi looked at him in disbelief. "Follow the trail of blood to the bottom of the ship where we can't get out? Are you mad, Captain?"

"Do you have any better ideas, Representative?" Daris asked, his powerful gaze boring into her. "Because unless you do, I don't see any other way to proceed."

"Maybe me and the other passengers should stay behind. We're not soldiers." Rui said, though in his case this was far from true.

"So we can lose even more people?" Daris scoffed, "Whatever's happening here, our best bet is to stay together. The more we split up the more vulnerable we become."

"I have to agree with the Captain." The marine said.

"Do you see anyone down there, Toph?" Sokka asked, praying silently that this was all some big misunderstanding. But Toph shook her head.

"Uh-uh." She replied, "But my earthbending can only do so much. This ship is big that they could easily be out of range. And with the noise of the ocean and the constant rocking my vision here is foggy at best."

"Enough deliberating." Daris said firmly, "This is a military operation and as such I am in charge. And _I _say we go down to the engine room and get some answers. Anyone who disagrees feel free to stay behind. But you'll be on your own."

And with that, he descended into the depths of the ship, the marine following closely behind. The others lingered for a moment, unsure of what to do. But one by one they too fell in line and one by one they were devoured by the darkness.

* * *

"Stay close." Daris ordered.

They were now on the lowest level of the ship, in the hold that adjoined the engine room. Although the engines had been turned off the smell of coal and steam still hung heavy in the air, adding to the closeness of the place.

It was dark too. Almost as dark as the abandoned station. The few lights the chamber provided were slowly dimming, the ship was running low on power.

Daris held the lantern in front of him, keeping it closer to the ground. "This way." He said, following the trail of blood.

The marine walked beside him, his hands at his chest, eyes alert. Sokka and Rui followed them, watching the perimeter. Hakumi and Toph were in the rear, the Representative nervously glancing behind her as the light from the stairwell grew more and more distant.

"Anything, Toph?" Sokka whispered.

"Hmm," She pursed her lips. "There seems to be something in the next compartment, but I can't tell if it's a person. It could just be a loose piece of equipment."

"Quiet." Daris hissed, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead. The ominous feeling was now roaring in his ears. Eating away at the back of his mind. **Turn back**, it screamed.

He shook his head, wiping the sweat away with his free hand. This wasn't the time for doubt. He was a soldier, the captain of this ship, and he would not be so easily frightened.

But he couldn't suppress it this time. This time, the sensation was much too strong. The others were beginning to feel it as well. It was as if the fear was contagious. One by one it infected them all. Trapping them in this dark and putrid chamber. Instilling in them a sense of helplessness. They were cornered, trapped. Caged like animals. Only they were not alone. Something else was in here with them. Something from the station. Waiting, watching.

Hakumi shuddered, a shadow had flickered viciously as the light from Daris' lamp glided on by. This was wrong, she thought anxiously, this was all wrong. She was a dignitary, a politician, this wasn't where she belonged. And this wasn't how she wanted it to end. Not like this. Not in a place like this!

A muffled cry shattered through her thoughts, only this time the others heard it too. Daris' eyes widened and the marine quickly assumed a battle stance. Sokka gripped his sword with both hands.

"Toph?" He asked urgently, the tension in the chamber growing rapidly.

"I'm not sure." She replied. "It's too far away."

"Steady, now." Daris ordered, as they moved in the direction of the cry.

"Oh no." Hakumi shuddered, "The scream. Like the one in the station!"

"Quiet!" Daris hissed, the tension now as thick as blood. "Everyone stay silent."

The darkness before them revealed nothing, it was almost like they were walking blindly. Rui glanced nervously from side to side. In the ever dimming light every crate, every pipe, every mysterious shape, seemed menacing and malevolent. There was no telling where an attack could come from. The darkness was their enemy and it had them surrounded.

"Toph?" Sokka asked more urgently, his heart pounding in his ears.

"I-I can't tell." She replied, then furrowing her brows, "Something's moving over there." She pointed into the darkness. The others glanced anxiously in that direction, but the darkness offered them nothing.

Suddenly, another scream echoed down the corridor and this time every man and woman felt it in their very heart. Sokka's knuckles turned white from gripping his sword so tightly and Daris' face was a twisted knot of tension.

"Oh spirits." Hakumi murmured under her breath. "Where is it coming from? Where?!"

And then they saw it. The dim light from Daris' lantern fell on a distant shape. At first it looked like yet another pointless object, but then it moved. A jerking motion at first, then it began shaking. As they came closer, it became obvious that it was indeed a living thing. From behind they saw that it was a man wearing Fire Nation uniform, only it was tattered and stained with dark blotches.

"You there!" Daris called out, his voice sounding slightly relieved. "Sailor! Where's the rest of the crew?"

But the man did not reply and as they came closer they realized why.

By now the lights in the chamber had all gone out. It was pitch black, save for the scarce illumination that the single lantern afforded. All around them the darkness was coming together, like a pair of jaws clamping shut. There was no escape.

The man turned his head towards them slowly, blood spattering across the floor as he did, and it became painfully obvious that he was anything but living. Bits of flesh hung limply from his mouth, trailing blood down to his neck which was brutally torn open. His lifeless eyes, like that of a corpse, examined them hungrily, as if savoring the moment. And as the lantern fell out of the Daris' hand, smashing to pieces on the cold metal floor, the creature uttered a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

**A/N:**** Well that's Chapter 2. It took me a while to get this one just right and I'm still second guessing myself. Anyway, please please please let me know what you think! Reviews are greatly appreciated and desired. The more the merrier. I am also looking for a Beta Reader, so if you are interested please PM me. Thank you for following my story so far and be sure to leave a review. Thanks!**

**-Gongsun Du.**


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